“It is unclear how long his recovery will take,” the Visma team said in a statement. “Van Aert will definitely miss the Tour de Flanders, Paris-Roubaix and the Amstel Gold Race.”
Stuyven also appeared to have injured his collarbone in the accident, but Pedersen and Gilmay were not seriously injured.
Van Aert's teammate Matteo Jorgenson (USA) won the match against Vlaanderen with a solo attack from a breakaway.
Van Aert is widely considered one of the world's best and most versatile riders. The three-time cyclocross world champion is the winner of major races such as Milan-Sanremo, Strade Bianchi, Ghent-Wevelgem and Amstel Gold, as well as the winner of the 10 stages and points classification of the Tour de France. .
Belgium has qualified up to four athletes to compete in the road race at the Paris Olympics, two of whom will compete in the time trial. Van Aert was on the long list announced last autumn, along with Remco Evenepoel and several other stars.
Van Aert was scheduled to miss the Tour de France, which ends just before the Summer Olympics, in order to freshen up for the Olympics. He was due to compete in the Giro d'Italia in May instead, but his plans are now in doubt after the crash.
During the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, Van Aert was part of a chasing group trying to catch eventual winner Richard Carapaz at Fuji Speedway. However, at the finish line, the group was more than a minute behind the Ecuadorian rider, and Van Aert was forced to sprint past the group, which included American rider Brandon McNulty and bronze medalist Tadej Pogačar, to take the silver medal. Ta.
Van Aert also competed in the individual time trial in Japan, finishing in sixth place with just 37 seconds left for a medal.
AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games
